Loose-leaf binder.



No. 816,734. PATENTED APR. 3, 1906.

S. G. NOTT.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED APR. 3, 1906.

y s. O. NOTE.

LOOSE LEAP BINDER.

APELIOATION FILED AUG. 1, 1904.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICF..

SYDNEY C. NOTT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Loose-LEAF ezanga..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 1906.

'Application filed August l, 1904. Serial No. 218,958. i

l ful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders,

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to loose-leaf'binders i of that class in which impaling-posts of uniform diameter, together with a binding-plate and a clamping-plate, aord the means for securing the leaves or sheets in place.

' Heretofore many different devices. have been used for rigidly binding or clamping the sheets in lace and to permit the same to be readily re eased when desired, and many expediente have been resorted to to enable the rcapacity ofthe binder to be varied to suit the growth of the series of accounts. Many of these devices, however, have been defective either because of 'the complicated and eX- pensive construction or for the reason that such skill is rfquired of the operator to enable the device to be adjusted to varying quantities of leaves that the use has been limited.

The object of this invention is to 'provide a binder adapted to firmly hold one leaf or sheet or any desired number of leaves or sheets, as preferred, and adapted to instantaneously release the clamping-plate from the sheets to permit the insertion or the removal of sheets.'

A furtheruobject of the invention is to provide impaling or binding posts adapted to be varied in length at will to suit the varying requirements of a device of the kind and to afford means in connection with said impaling-- posts for accurately adjusting the binder to the content-s thereof.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an exceedingly strong, sim le, and durable construction capable of being operated by one without prior experience with devices of the kind.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter contained, and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a fragmentary top plan View of a binder embodying my invention. Fig.' 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating means for securing the binding-levers. Fig. 5 is a verticalsection of the same. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a modification of the clamping means. Fig. 7 is a reduced fragmentary top plan view of the same. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of the clamping-plate. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the adjusting-bolts.

. As shown in said drawings, the binder comprises a binding-plate A, of metal or any other suitable material, which, as shown, is

rigidly secured by screws or in any suitable manner upon the hinge-strip a, which may be of wood, apier-mch, o'r any preferred material an about which is secured the binding a4, of leather-*or the-like, which affords the hinge with the bottom cover-board a. A clamping-plate A is oppositely faced upon the binding-plate ada ted to coact therewith and is rigidly secure upon a hinge-strip a2, which articulates with the top cover-board a by means of the leather binding, (indicated by a4.)

Connecting the binding-plate and the clamping-plate are the binding-posts (indicated as a whole by B) and which in the present instance are shown as constructed of tubular sections bof any desired length adapted to be secured end to end to permitI of varying the length of the posts to suit the quantity of leaves to be contained in the binder. Said tubular sections b are threaded internally for their entire length and, as shown, are notched at each end to adapt the same to be enga fed by a screw-driver or other suitable too The abutting ends of the sections are secured together by means of bolts b', which are threaded for their entire lent-th and are likewise provided with end slots for engagement by a suitable tool for turning the same in place. Said posts B are also ad justably secured as to length through the binding-plate by means of a bolt B, whichl eX- tends through a suitable aperture in the hinge-strip and binding-plate and has threaded engagement in the end of the first tubular binding-post section t, as shown in'Fis. 2 and 3, and its flattened head b3 bears against said hinge-strip, so that rotation of said bolts B in one direction acts to draw the bindingpost inwardly toward the binding plate, while rotation in the opposite direction acts to extend the post. Said bolts B are interchangeable as to length, dependent upon IOO IOS

whether one or more sleeve-sections are used in the post B. If only one section is used, the bolt B Will be of a length to extend approximately to the binding-plate A, thereby giving a maximum amount of outward adjustment, while ermitting sufiicient inward adjustment to c amp but one sheet inthe binder. If more than one sleeve-section is used, the bolt B will be of less length, thereby giving the desired adjustment. Means are also provided at the upper end of each binding post ada ted to irmly engage the clampinglate in inding relation. For this purpose t e upper end of the binding-post sectionv b4 is shaped to afford one member of a hinge and extends through both the clamping-plate and the upper hinge-strip. Articulating with said upper section b4 of each binding-post is a lever b5, which is cylindric and ofthe same diameter as t-he binding-post and when turned upwardly into alinement therewith forms a continuation of said post, upon which the clamping plate and upper hinge-strip may be slid upwardly.

As shown, the hinge-strip a2 is provided longitudinally with a groove or recess adapted to receive said levers b5 when turned 1nwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and means are provided for rigidly engaging-said levers b5 within said recess, so that when the clamping-plate is forced downwardly thereby the compression may be maintained. For this purpose, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, a screw-shaft C extends through the clampingplate and is provided with a follower C" thereon adapted to compress the sheets in the binder and is provided on its outer end with a winged nut c, which in one position is adapted to be turned over the Hattened extremities l5 of said lever ends, thus holding the same down. if said Yfollower is not used, wire staples c3 may be used. Said staples are bent to a form to provide laterally-er'- tending ends, which engage, the clamping-plate and the hinge-stri turned upwardly, shown engage over the ends ol the leT A to retain the h' er in close l ln the cons ction illustraL and 8 the to when the bin the binder either sin rle-post sections of the| desired length and aving hinged relation with'the levers b5 at their upper ends are engaged throu h the clamping and binding plates upon t e bolt B', whereby the end of the sleeve is drawn inwardly through the binding-.plate and hinged strip to afford any desire egree of adjustment, or additional post-sections may be used. If desired7 when using the single-post sections a'single sheet can be firmly bound between the bindingplate and clamping-plate;` The capacity of the binder can be varied by adjnstmentof bolts B', which vary the distance between the clamping-plate and binding-plate, or by the insertion of a longer sleeve-section or of one or more additional sleeve-sections, if preferred, the abutting ends of which are connected to the bolts b', as before described. Having adjusted the binding -posts to a length to enable the binder to contain the required number of leaves and the sheets having been inserted, the levers b5, which are pivoted eccentrically with the upper post-sections, are turned downwardly into the recess in the hinge-strip therefor and secured therein, thus bringing great pressure upon the sheets.

Il preferred, a closed back may be provided by securing a strip of metal, stiff leather, or other suitable material D in the back of the binder, covering the rear margins of the leaves and turning the margin of said back inwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, and slotting the same to receive the binding-posts.

ln the construction shown in Figs. 6, 7, and il when the levers bf are brought into reg'- ister with the binding-posts B the clampingplate A may be retracted, thereby releasing the screw-shaft and permitting` the follower to be removed, thereby affording a maximum amount of space between the binding-plate clampingplate when inserting` additional sheets. n

lffhile l have described one construction .g my invention, it is obvious that "he invention may be diilerently einbodiwl, and l do not il sire to be limited in this application more than is necessitated by the prior rt and as stated in the claims, as many decoi trnction may be varied without ing frein the principle el" niyinvenlion.

ntionwie mnnliinalion with u "f .ping-ple and a l iinline-plute oi' bindnn e; 'the f die und IOO having threaded engagement in the end of each post, a lever on the upper end of each binding-post above the clam ing-plate and adapted when forced inward y to bring inward ressure upon the clamping-plate.

3.. n a binder, the combination with a binding-plate and a clamping-plate of registering apertures therethrough, binding-posts extending through the clamping-plate and into the binding-plate, a bolt engaging each post through the binding-plate and acting to adjust the post with respect thereto and a lever on the upper end of the binding-post acting to force the clamping-plate inwardly and means for engaging the ends of said levers in binding position.

4. in a device of the class described,.a binding-post comprising one or more sections adapted to be engaged with a binding-plate b J and to extend through a clamping-plate and a lever hinged to the upper end of said binding-post acting to turn downwardly and force the clamping-plate inwardly.

5. A bindingost for the urpose specified comprising a p urality of s eeve-sections of uniform diameter, threaded internally from end to end and having notches in the ends for engagement with a tool and bolts cornplenientally threaded for their entire length and affording the connection i between the abutting ends of said sleeves. v

6. A binder of the class described comprising a binding-plate and a clamping-plate, binding-posts holding the same in operative relation comprising a plurality of sleeves of uniform diameter and internally threaded at each end, a threaded bolt ai'fording the connection between the abutting ends of adjacent sleeves and a lever at the outer end of each post'acting to force the clamping-plate inwardly.

7. ln a binder, a tubular sectional bindingpost of uniform diameter adapted to extend into the binding-plate, a headed bolt swiveled in the binding-plate and engaging in said `post and a lever pivoted at the upper end of said post and adapted when in alinement therewith, to form an extension thereof.

8. A binder ofthe class described com rising a binding-plate and a clamping-p ate, binding-posts holding the same in operative relation comprising a plurality of sleeves of uniform diameter and internally threaded at each end, a threaded bolt aifordin the connection between the abutting en s of said sleeves, a lever at the outer end of each post actin to force the clamping-plate inwardly, a fol ower intermediate the clamping and binding plates and means for adjusting said follower with respect thereto..

`scribing witnesses.

9. In a binder the combination with they clamping and binding platesof extensible posts connecting the saine comprising internally-threaded sleeves and bolts forming-the connection between said sleeves, a lever on the outer ends of said posts acting to force the clamping-plate inwardly, means for holding said levers in clamping relation and an adjustable follower carried on said plates.

l0. ln a device of the class described the combination with a binding-plate of posts adjustably secured thereon each comprising a plurality of internally-threaded sleeves and bolts adapted to engage said sleeves together, a clamping-plate movably engaged on said posts, a lever at the upper end of each post adapted to be turned inwardly and compress said clamping-plate, a follower intermediate said plates andan operating-shaft therefor adapted when the clamping-plate is released to be removed with the follower.

11. A binding-post for the pur ose specifled comprising a plurality of tubulhr sections having internally-threaded ends and complementally-threaded bolts acting to secure the abutting ends of said sections together and a hinged section thereon adapted when in one position to form a continuation thereof.

i2. A binder comprising in combination, top and vbottom plates, posts adapted to hold said plates in operative relation, a lever on each post acting to limit the outward movement of one of said plates, a follower slidably engaged on the front faces of said posts and an ar justing-shaft therefor adapted to permit said follower to be removed from the front of the binder.

13. A. binder comprising in combination top and bottoni plates, posts adapted to hold said plates in operative relation, a lever on the upper end of each post adapted to force the top plate inwardly and interchangeable bolts carried inthe bottom plate adapted to move said osts vertically.

14. ln a cose-leaf binder, the combination with the top and bottom plates of posts slidably engaged therethrough, each comprising internally-threaded sections and bolts threaded complementally therewith adapted to engage abutting ends of said sections, a lever hinged at the upper end of each post and interchangeable bolts swiveled in the bottom plate ada ted to raise and lower said posts.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto subscribed my narne in the presence of two sub- SYBNEY C. NGTT. Witnessest YV. lvif. Alflrrni:NennY, 

